not sugar spikes.... fructose does not cause any of those. It does not turn into blood glucose. I have read many articles on how fructose affects insulin receptors themselves and NOT the insulin itself. this would make one more insulin resistant (without ever raising glucose levels) which would make it so that when you DID eat carbohydrate that turned to blood glucose the body would need higher and higher amounts of insulin causing diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, etc...

Well, I think it's better than regular sugar or fructose for that matter. When I use it, it doesn't seem to make me feel weird. But many other sweeteners do. Like today I made some Gingerbread Scones that were in a Southern Cooking Christmas book I had. And the sweetener was molasses. I don't eat molasses that often and I used blackstrap. But I ate one scone and I could tell it messed with me and charged me up some. I was trying to think about how much molasses might have been in the one I had. Maybe a tablespoon? And it razzed me up. But the cake I made a while back with Agave did nothing of the sort. It may depend on you. It's probably a little different for everyone. That's one of the problems behind these "studies". They forget that everyone is different and reacts differently to these things.

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"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Phillipians 4:8

not sugar spikes.... fructose does not cause any of those. It does not turn into blood glucose. I have read many articles on how fructose affects insulin receptors themselves and NOT the insulin itself. this would make one more insulin resistant (without ever raising glucose levels) which would make it so that when you DID eat carbohydrate that turned to blood glucose the body would need higher and higher amounts of insulin causing diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, etc...

VERY interesting. thinking back on how long I've used agave and the weight gain I've experienced in about the same amount of time, I have to wonder. I cook, bake and everything else exclusively with agave specifically because of my blood sugar issues. I would love to hear from Dr D on this if he would be so kind. Also, Spatz, do you have some info you could send me?

Fructose cannot cause any significant insulin spikes since fructose does not require insulin for its absorption and metabolism. Agave is a source of fructose (as are blueberries) but the main reason it is generally considered a 'neutral' as compared to other sweeteners is that it seems to produce almost no bacteria overgrowth (as opposed to hfcs, which does) and does not provoke major immune/ gut related reactions, which hfcs also does (probably because it is corn derived; I've seen this same thing with 'ascorbic acid' vitamin C versus rose hip and acerola derived vitamin C -- most commercial ascorbic acid is derived from corn syrup).

Beware of the 'fructose is bad' mantra. If you took that to it's logical extreme, you'd never eat a fruit. It's the hfcs we are being deluged with that is the problem.

A whole system is a living system is a learning system.’ -Stewart Brand

"I have read many articles on how fructose affects insulin receptors themselves and NOT the insulin itself. this would make one more insulin resistant (without ever raising glucose levels)"

I'm reading the same articles. There does seem to be quite a difference between naturally occurring fructose in fruits and the refined fructose in agave and hfcs...

Quoted Text

"Refined fructose (or anything) lacks amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, and fiber. As a result, the body doesn't recognize refined fructose. Levulose, on the other hand, is naturally occurring in fruits, and is not isolated but bound to other naturally occurring sugars. Unlike man-made fructose, levulose contains enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin. Refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver, rather than digested in the intestine.(5) Levulose is digested in the intestine. Refined fructose robs the body of many micronutrient treasures in order to assimilate itself for physiological use. While naturally occurring fruit sugars contain levulose bound to other sugars, high fructose corn syrup contains "free" (unbound), chemically refined fructose. Research indicates that free refined fructose interferes with the heart's use of key minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium. (6)

...

The retail refined agave syrup label does not explain that it goes through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion, which converts the starch into the free, man-made chemical fructose that has a direct link to serious the degenerative disease conditions so prevalent in our culture. While high fructose agave syrup won't spike your blood sugar levels, the fructose in it will cause: mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, obesity, and may be toxic for use during pregnancy.

I don't know if there's a truly raw form out there. If there is, it won't be very sweet. The one I buy is labelled "organic raw blue", says its processed at a temperature not higher than 118oF. I'm sure it contains some of that refined fructose too, but not in unnatural proportions as in other forms. I use it sparingly, mostly just to sweeten my homemade rice milk or rice pudding (added after cooking) and never used for baking or cooking. I actually prefer maple syrup (which probably has the same refined fructose problem), but my Gatherer hub can't do that, so it is agave for us. If I ever do any baking (which is mostly never) I will use organic cane sugar (oops, is that an avoid?).

So for Hunters, fructose is a toxin. Of course this is probably not meant to include fruit as Dr D mentioned earlier. Then it says agave is a superfood. If it's soooooo high in fructose, how is that possible? Molasses is also a superfood. Is there the same problem w/ fructose there? It's cooked too!

I'm also wondering about Agave and the liver- I've had problems with elevated liver enzymes in the past, and I don't want to eat anything that might set off new liver problems.

One thing to keep in mind is that agave is a simple carbohydrate, and too much sugar is going to lead to weight gain. One teaspoon per day in a cup of tea is unlikely to cause problems, but once you're baking "holiday goodies" with agave, you might be eating too much. From the simple perspective of "how does agave affect your weight?" then quantity is definitly a factor. From a health perspective, I'm not really sure.

So for Hunters, fructose is a toxin. Of course this is probably not meant to include fruit as Dr D mentioned earlier. Then it says agave is a superfood. If it's soooooo high in fructose, how is that possible? Molasses is also a superfood. Is there the same problem w/ fructose there? It's cooked too!

If you want to buy something sweet, get a piece of fruit, not a candy bar labeled as a "health food." If you want to create something sweet, use sweeteners that are known to be safer. For uncooked dishes, unheated raw honey or dates work well. For cooked dishes or sweet drinks, a good organic maple syrup, or even freshly juiced apple juice or orange juice can provide delicious and relatively safe sweetness. In general, to be healthy, we cannot eat sugar all day, no matter how natural the form of sugar is, or is claimed to be.

Dr. D: Thank you, you have answered my question. I was guessing along the lines of Fructose problems: Corn and that Agave fructose might not act like "fructose" (the one that is condemned) because it is not derived from corn.

I am satisfied and comfortable enough to now utilize it (but I will always love and use my beloved Quebec Maple syrup more! )

Who am I kidding?? Before I do that I have better options in my Swami as Super Foods: Maple syrup, Vegetable glycerin and Barley malt, all have been new tastes for me (with the exception of mapple syrup I had before), but I am really enjoying the sweet-bitter tanginess of barley malt and sweet heat of Vegie glycerin. Come to think of it, Agave was only a Neutral, a very sweet one, good transition from honey withdrawal cravings. But, my sweet tooth is well catered for in my Swami and all SFs with Barley Malt Diamond!! Mmmm black coffee with Barley malt = yummy diamond boost!

Sooo, I went to the store and bought some pitted dates. Nothing else, just dates, no junk. I put a little water in my VitaMix and added about half the bag of dates. Whirred until they were pureed. I'll try using this in place of agave for a while and see what happens. Will be an interesting experiment. I'm going to be really sad if I need to give up my agave. ;-/ NEED .... TO .... DO ..... SWAMI

Fructose cannot cause any significant insulin spikes since fructose does not require insulin for its absorption and metabolism. Agave is a source of fructose (as are blueberries) but the main reason it is generally considered a 'neutral' as compared to other sweeteners is that it seems to produce almost no bacteria overgrowth (as opposed to hfcs, which does) and does not provoke major immune/ gut related reactions, which hfcs also does (probably because it is corn derived; I've seen this same thing with 'ascorbic acid' vitamin C versus rose hip and acerola derived vitamin C -- most commercial ascorbic acid is derived from corn syrup).

Beware of the 'fructose is bad' mantra. If you took that to it's logical extreme, you'd never eat a fruit. It's the hfcs we are being deluged with that is the problem.

Does this apply to yeast / candida albicans also?

The poster formerly known as "ABNOWAY"

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Phillipians 4:8